Drink container



y 1968 N. s. FOURQUREAN 3,384,257

DRINKING CONTAINER Filed Aug. 31, 1966 Fig./

unny Mum]? Nell 5. Faurqurean IN VENTOR.

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United States Patent Office 3,384,257 Patented May 21, 1968 3,384,257DRINK CONTAINER Nell S. Fourqurean, 1701 E. 9th St., Hopkinsville, Ky.42240 Filed Aug. 51, 1966, Ser. No. 576,362 Claims. (Cl. 215-1) ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE The unspillable container disclosed lends itself topractical use as a sick room aid and is made of glass or otheraccept-able material. It has a stable flat bottom, is selfstanding andwill rarely capsize. The upper portion embodies a nicely roundedshoulder merging into an upstanding filler neck provided with adisposable dust cap. An easy-to-hold handle is fixed on a vertical sideof the container body. That portion of the shoulder directly above andaligned with the upper end of the handle is provided with an orificewhich serves as an air vent but primarily serves to accommodate aninsertable and removable straw or drinking tube. The drinking tube canvary in length depending on the needs of the patient and whether lyingdown or sitting up. A suitably graduated contents indicating scale isprovided on one easily-viewable side. This unique container well servesthe purposes for which it is adapted for use.

This invention relates to a new and improved sick room aid which isexpressly designed and capably adapted for use at home, in nursing homesfor invalids, hospitals, clinics, and the like and has to do,specifically classified, with a drinking glass which is uniquelyconstructed to better accommodate a currently usable type pliantbendable-type straw or a conventional angle-type rigid drinking tube.

An objective in the instant matter is to advance the art which pertainsto appliances and accessories which are acceptably suitable forpractical and reasonably safe use by an ill patient (a sick orhandicapped child, a feeble or bed-ridden adult patient, as the case maybe). More particularly, the objective is achieved, not by altering thestraw or tube or the manner of use usually resorted to by the patientand nurse, but by providing a structurally novel container or, as it isbest known, a drinking glass.

Briefly, the drinking glass or container can be and preferably is madeof non-breakable glass or plastic material and can be transparent andperhaps disposable, if desired. The experimental model has a flat bottomwhich is substantially three inches in diameter and is amply stable whenseated on a support surface to minimize the likelihood of easycapsizing. Also, it is about four inches or so high and of appropriatecross-section to provide the capacity needed or desired. Then, too, asuitably graduated clearly visible measuring scale is provided on oneside.

Keeping in mind that one of the significant aspects of the concept is toeffectively assist and aid the patient and nurse or other attendant itis another purpose of the invention to promote ease and reliance ofhandling and, to this end, the body of the container, which defines thereceptacle portion, is preferably exteriorly provided with ane'asy-to-hold handle or handgrip positioned much as it would be on a mugfor self-evident handling needs.

A more important and resourceful aspect of the concept has to do withthe shaping of the upper or top portion of the body and, with this inmind, it will be noted that this upper portion is concavo-convex toprovide a nicely rounded shoulder found for example in bottle-typecontainers, and which merges into the centralized filler opening at thetop. For best results the filler opening is encompassed by an upstandingcollar or neck which serves to permit the attachment thereto of a quickapplicable and removable rim or flange on a dust cap or closure.

In addition to the handle and capped neck a feature of paramountimportance has to do with the provision in the shoulder portion of anorifice or port which is usually circular and which permits thedepending branch portion of the straw or drinking tube to be passeddownwardly therethrough into the interior of the receptacle portion ofthe container. It will be noted that the orifice is of a size greaterthan the cross-section of the straw, functions as a vent, and is locatedbetween the neck and the upper end of the handle and in fact inalignment with the upper attached end of the handle or h-andgrip.

These together with other objects and advantages which will becomesubsequently apparent reside in the details of construction andoperation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof, whereinlike numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective of a drinking container constructed inaccordance with the invention and showing the manner in which a glass oran equivalent drinking tube (pliant straw, if desired) is used,

And FIG. 2 is a view on a slightly enlarged scale taken on the plane ofthe section line 22 of FIG. 1.

As will be evident from the preceding description the device is broadlyreferred to as a container but is also known in the art and trade as apotable liquid containing and drinking glass for hospital and similaruse. It actually resembles a relatively small jar in over-all externalappearance. It is made of economical plastic material, perhaps evenglass. In fact it is within the purview of the concept to make such acontainer of throw-away or disposable cardboard such as is used inmanufacture of parafiin-coated milk and soft drink cartons. In any eventit is preferably provided with a fiat disk-like bottom 4 which isusually about three inches in diameter to render it reliablyself-standing. The main part of the body is cylindrical as shown at 6.The upper or top portion of the body is concavo-convex and provides anicely rounded shoulder portion 8. This shoulder portion is provided onone side with an orifice or equivalent port or opening 10 which is of ashape and diameter to permit ready insertion and removal of the columnportion 12 of the attach-able and detachable drinking tube 14. The mouthportion of the tube is denoted at 16 and the usual angular bend at 18.It will be understood in connection with this drinking tube that it ispurely representative here in that the expression tube is intended toalso comprehend the now popularly used pliant and bendabletype drinkingstraws, not shown. The upper or top portion of the container has asuitably enlarged filler opening as at 20 which is encompassed by avertical upstanding endless collar or neck 22 which is also referred toin the art as a filler neck. This neck is amply rigid to accommodate thedepending annular flange or rim 24 of the closing cap or lid 26. The lidproper is denoted at 28 and serves to span the opening and constitutes asatisfactory protector in that it closes the receptacle portion,prevents spilling and guards against the entrance of dust, insects orextraneous matter as is obvious.

The side wall 30 is provided with the aforementioned handle or handgrip.This grip comprises an arcuately bowed strap 32 having an upper end 34superimposed on and affixed to the body and a similarly attached lowerend portion 36. The handle or handgrip is vertically disposed, wellbalanced and is preferably located so that it is in line with theorifice 10.

In practice it is also Within the purview of the invention to provide ameasuring scale 38 having suitably arranged and clearly visiblegraduations 40.

It is evident that the orifice 10 supports and securely holds thedrinking tube in its intended place and eliminates excessive moving oreven the necessity of the patient or user holding the tube. In otherwords the tube stays put. The drinking tube can vary in length dependingon the need of the individual whether lying down or sitting up. Asstated the handle or handgrip is directly under and in line with theorifice 1t and the orifice 10 functions as an air vent. The top or lid26 provides the sanitary feature desired and in addition minimizes thelikelihood of spillage. Generally the top will be made of disposablematerial.

It is submitted that the invention well serves the purposes for which itis intended and that a more detailed description is unnecessary.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. For use in ones home, nursing homes for invalids, hospitals, clinicsand the like, a liquid containing and drinking glass comprising aself-standing container having a bottom provided with an integralupstanding hollow body, said body having an upper part graduallydecreased in diameter and merging with and terminating at an upper endin an open mouth encompassed by an integral filler neck, a readilyapplicable and removable lid providing a cover for said month, said lidbeing operatively but removably mounted on said neck, said decreasedportion constituting and defining a shoulder, said shoulder beingprovided with a restricted orifice adapted to permit passage of and toretentively hold a patients drinking straw or a feeding tube, saidbottom being fiat, said body being cylindrical in cross-section andtransparent, said shoulder being concavo-convex, said body beingexteriorly provided with a fixed handgrip, and said orifice being inalignment with said handgrip.

2. The drinking glass according to claim 1, and wherein said orifice islocated in a plane below the plane of said filler neck and above theplane of the upper end of said handgrip, said handgrip comprising alongitudinally bowed, easily grippable rigid strap member having upperand lower ends superimposed on and affixed to said body.

3. The drinking glass defined in and according to claim 1, and whereinsaid orifice is of a diameter slightly greater than the cross-section ofsaid drinking straw, whereby to provide a vent when the straw is in use.

4. The drinking glass defined in and according to claim 2 and whereinsaid container is jar-shaped in over-all appearance, said body beinglarger in diameter than the diameter of said mouth to minimize thelikelihood of accidental capsizing when being used by an unaidedpatient, and also wherein said body is provided with a suitablycalibrated measuring scale indicative of the capacity of the receptacleportion of said container.

5. An unspillable liquid containing and drinking glass for use in oneshome, nursing homes for invalids, hospitals, clinics and the likecomprising a self-standing container having a bottom and an integralupstanding hollow body, said body having an upper part graduallydecreased in diameter and merging with and terminating at an upper axialend portion in an open mouth encompassed by an integral filler neck,said decreased portion constituting a shoulder, said shoulder beingprovided with an orifice adapted to permit passage of and toretentative- 1y anchor and hold a significant portion of an inserta'bleand removable drinking straw, said shoulder being concavo-convex, ahandgrip fixed on a vertical side of the body of said container, saidorifice being located in alignment with said handgrip in a plane belowthe plane f said filler neck and above the plane of a cooperating upperend portion of said handgrip, said handgrip comprising a longitudianllybowed, easily grippable strap member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 85,088 12/1863 Griswold 2l51002,194,011 3/1940 Davidson 229-7 3,215,299 11/1965 Coand'a et a1 21510OFOREIGN PATENTS 504,181 4/1939 Great Britain. 566,676 12/1932 Germany.

JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner. W. T. DIXSON, JR., AssistantExaminer.

